US Navy Picks Raytheon for $368 Million in Weapons Contracts

The U.S. Navy chose Raytheon Co. to manufacture Standard Missile-6 systems under a series of contracts totaling $368 million over three years, with potential modifications for low-rate initial production.

The SM-6 missiles will provide the U.S. Navy with an extended-range anti-air warfare missile for defense against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and anti-ship cruise missiles.

The contracts cover missiles, spare parts, and system and design engineering efforts. Raytheon will deliver the first missiles in early 2011.

"Low-rate initial production begins our process of delivering this integral weapon system to the warfighter," stated Raytheon's Air and Missile Defense Systems product line vice president Frank Wyatt. "Standard Missile-6 remains on schedule, and we brought in the first three years of production well under the Navy's budget."

According to Wyatt, the Standard Missile-6 is in development testing and will go into operational testing in 2011.